


Mid-Fall

by Winged_Ember



Series: Mid-Flight [2]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, HC AU, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I don't ship real people, I'm Bad At Tagging, Kidnapping, Minecraft, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, Teamwork, This author has no idea what they are doing so bear with me, Violence, Whump, Winged!Grian, hermitcraft au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:49:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 13,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25570015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winged_Ember/pseuds/Winged_Ember
Summary: Part 2 of Mid-FlightGrian has been kidnapped by a vengeful angel, and Scar and Mumbo must set off on a journey to find him... befriending an old enemy along the way.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), references to a previous relationship and love tho
Series: Mid-Flight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1853077
Comments: 30
Kudos: 142





	1. Memories

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back!!!!
> 
> Welcome to Mid-Fall :)

Mumbo Jumbo trudged through the Jungle, listening to the various birdcalls all around him. He remembered the parrots in Season 6, the ones in the Sahara meeting room, and how he couldn’t tear his eyes away from their mesmerising dance in their first meeting. He remembered the AFK song, the one he’d then had stuck in his head for _weeks_ afterward. He remembered the Civil War, what a terrible Mole he’d been, and the terrifying dash through the labyrinthian, phantom-infested staircases to get one of STAR team’s flags.

Then, more recently, he remembered the hobbit tunnel, Tag 2: Electric Boogaloo, and the stupid stained glass on his window - stained glass and a wooden fringe which were still there; he didn’t have the heart to take them down.

Without Grian, everything seemed so… _dull_.  
The mischievous feathery hermit brought a new sense of fun to the server, one that they’d taken for granted.

And now he was gone.

  
Mumbo knew of course that Xisuma, Doc and Cub were currently searching through thousands of worlds, searching for Grian’s code, but their infinite number made the task nearly impossible.

Plus there was always a possibility that the ~~angel~~ hooded figure had access to magic that enabled him to somehow hide Grian from anyone outside – or even inside – the world. In fact, that was more than likely considering as X couldn’t locate the winged hermit when he was being kept in the stronghold.

The redstoner was so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice where his feet had taken him until he practically smacked into the wall.

“Hello!”  
“Hello!”  
“Hello!”  
The barrage of hellos assaulted his ears as he looked up.

_Grian’s villager breeder._

_Which meant…_  
He turned and saw Grian’s hobbit hole, where all of this started.

Nobody had dared to touch anything since he’d disappeared, but the moustached man had seen many people land nearby as he worked on his base, presumably to reminisce (like he was doing) or ‘pay their respects’ – quite a stupid thing to do in Mumbo’s opinion. He wasn’t dead!

But anyway.

As a result, there were still a few puddles of dried blood, stagnating in the clearing, as well as hundreds of feathers scattered over the jungle floor. Soft, downy ones, stiff, waterproof ones, large flight feathers and tiny ones no bigger than a pebble, all slightly different shades, all with a shining hue like pure gold.

He picked up one of the flight feathers and nearly dropped it in surprise when he heard his name ripple through the trees.

“ _Muumbooo…_ ”

“G-Grian?!” He called, voice trembling with hope.  
**Suddenly, he was in the sky, wind rushing through his feathers and the cold night air knifing through his hair. Just then, something smacked into his side, winding him and causing him to fall Mid-Flight.**

And then he was back on the ground, feather drifting out of his hand as he stood frozen with shock. Mechanically, he bent to pick up another, being sucked into the memory.

**“Tautis!”**  
**He turned to face his ‘friend’ at the unfamiliar name, a wound on his arm twinging as he did so.**  
**“O-oh h-h-hey S-”**

_Fast-forward._

**Blood, all over him. He would have screamed, but he knew he’d only make it worse.**

_And again, the lurching motion making him want to close his eyes, or throw up, or both._

**More blood, but this time, it wasn’t his own. The knife grated against bone, and he let go with a shudder. He hadn’t meant to, he was just trying to _defend_ himself- the guy was a _murderer_ after all, but he – _Grian_ – didn’t want to hurt anyone…**

_**Did he…?** _

  
Mumbo snapped out of the vision – _memory?_ – thing with a gasp. Somebody grabbed his shoulder from behind, causing him to spin around with a yelp as he practically flew out of his skin.  
“Mumbo?” Iskall looked concerned, and with good reason – the man was out in the open, seemingly zoned out while twelve phantoms circled above him. They couldn’t be Iskall's – he’d slept just last night.

From the sheer amount of the screeching creatures, he knew Mumbo hadn’t slept for a least a week. The redstoner was overly jumpy, had bags under his eyes, and seemed exhausted. To top it all off, he looked like he hadn’t changed his suit in a couple days, his hair was a mess, and even his iconic moustache was limp and oily.

All this together put Iskall into full mother-hen mode, and he dragged Mumbo back to the Omega tree to sleep. The thing that worried him the most was how the man didn’t even care, letting the swede tug him along without a single protest.  
Normally when he was overworking himself on one project or another, the amount of pushing and persuading and cajoling Iskall (and sometimes Grian) had to do would make him as tired as Mumbo himself, but this time there was nothing.

He laid Mumbo down on a bed in his tree, safe from phantoms and other mobs. Stretching, he set up another next to him falling into it with a sigh.

He’d talk to Xisuma in the morning – in the meantime…

Well, he deserved his rest just as much as Mumbo, didn’t he?

  
**_Didn’t he?_ **

_It’s all your fault._

No, it wasn’t – he’d done everything he could!  
Iskall flopped onto his side with an angry huff.

_But you could have stopped this._

There was nothing-

_There was- I flew over your tree that night, remember? You could have stopped me, prevented everything…_

But he hadn’t known, it was normal for the builder to go that way when he flew to his base, and-

_But you saw something, didn’t you?_

It was just a mob, nothing special, wasn’t even hostile-

_Bit bigger than that. And you didn’t say anything._

He couldn’t be sure that it had anything to do with this!

_Oh? Then why was it heading towards my base? I thought you were my friend, Iskall. My fellow Arcitech, and Dragon Bro! I thought I could trust you…_

Pathfinding! They go every which way, it was just a dumb b-

_Passive mobs don’t pathfind in a straight line for that long._

Still, it had nothing to do with this! There was no way he could have know what would happen – blame Scar, rather, for not having his vision sooner-

_So now he gets the blame? Not a very loyal friend, are you?_

-Or blame Xisuma for not finding the ~~Angel~~ stranger in the code sooner- oh wait, it couldn’t be their faults because it wasn’t something they could control!

_Except it was for you._

Shut _**UP!**_

Surprisingly, thought-Grian went silent. But as he drifted of to sleep, he couldn’t help but think about that ‘mob’. It looked so much… like a…… r-

His eyes slid closed, and he dreamed of breeding pigs, and losing crops.


	2. Don't. Touch. Anything!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumbo's still going crazy... or is he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three posts in one day T-T  
> I've prewritten up to chap. 11 tho >:D

**_M_ ** **_uuumboooo…_ **

Mumbo shot up with a cry, waking Iskall in the process.

“What the…” The groggy swede muttered irritably. “Mmbo… ‘chu doing?” He slurred, rubbing his eye.

“Iskall?” He noticed he was in Iskall’s tree, but quickly dismissed it.  
“Why…Nevermind. Iskall, I know this sounds crazy but we need to go back to Grian’s base!”

The brit equipped his elytra, grabbed ahold of his friend, and launched into the air, heading towards the missing hermit’s base.  
“M-Mumbo!” Iskall sputtered as he was dragged up into the sky. He deployed his own elytra and ripped his hand out of Mumbo’s.

“Are you crazy? Let go of me! What’s going on, dude?!”

“I’ll explain when we get there!” The man yelled over his shoulder, already tilting in a steep dive.  
They landed on top of the villager breeder, and Mumbo breathlessly ran through what he’d seen last night. Luckily, the flight has woken up the swede a little more, and he only had to repeat a couple of things.

“-and I think it must have been the feathers!”

“Do you think we should try one? Dude, maybe we should call for X…” His face was sceptical.

“But it could give us a clue to where he is!”

“I don’t know man, it seems Omega sketchy…”

“What’s sketchy?”  
Scar landed next to them, sending Iskall a quizzical look.  
The two quickly explained the situation, and he nodded knowingly.

“That sounds like a vision to me. You think it was the feathers that bought it on?”

“Yeah- when I touched one, it was like I was sucked into a memory…”

Scar hmmed thoughtfully.  
“I suppose it’s possible that there was some residual magic left from Grian leaving the world, which was attracted to them feathers, stored inside, and you touching them was the catalyst that released the energy…”

Iskall and Mumbo stared at the wizard blankly, and he sighed.  
“it doesn’t matter. Just… don’t touch anything else, okay? If there is a large magic residue build-up it could seriously injure you – and magic injuries can’t be healed by respawn.”

They nodded dutifully, and flew off. Scar sighed again, and flew towards the forest.

He had something he needed to ask.


	3. The Forest's Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scar asks the Open Forest Spirit a question, and gets a... cryptic answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna say this now...  
> The Raven's Heir isn't an OC

“Forest Spirit?”  
Scar called softly as he touched down on the grassy forest floor, sending a bunny dashing away into the bushes.  
“Forest?” He took a step forward.  
Suddenly, the air became a tiny bit thicker. He sensed a _change_ in the auras around him, and he knew it was listening.

“I-I have a favour I need to ask of you – a question. Please?”

_All you need do, my son, is ask…_

The wizard smiled in relief.

“T-thank you, Forest…”

_Well?_

He took a deep breath, preparing his words.  
“What can you tell me about Worldhopping*?”

_Aaaaaah, I see… you want to find Merle…._

“W-who?”

 _You must find the mansion of the deep woods. Only there will you find the knowledge you seek…_  
The Forest Spirit continued, ignoring his question.

“H-how do I get there?”

_Search for the one who’s the **Raven’s Heir** …_  
_She knows the way, she’ll take you there._

“H-how do I find her? What does s-she look like?”

_‘Tis she the one of the coal-black hair. You’ve viewed her before – I believe from the air…_

He didn’t remember seeing any ‘coal-black hair’ while he was flying, but at least he had a lead now. He turned to go, but the Forest called him back.

 _Be cautious my son, of her eyes of steel – many a man’s breath they have come to steal, men that have never breathed again…_  
It warned, and disappeared, leaving Scar to ponder its cryptic message as he flew.

_Sooo… I have to look for a woman with black hair that I’ve apparently seen before, who is also the ‘Raven’s Heir’ – whatever **that** means._

Letting off another rocket, he thought about the Forest Spirit’s warning.

_‘That have never breathed again’ That must mean she permakilled them – after all, we have respawn here! Better make that ‘look for a **dangerous** woman with black hair’…_

He spotted Xisuma taking a rare break to work on his base and flew down to talk to him about what he’d just heard. He didn’t mention the Worldhopping – he merely told the Admin that it was an idea on how to get Grian back.

“– I’d explain it to you, but you probably won’t be interested in me spouting a bunch of magical jargon…”  
The wizard waited for X to call his bluff, but he merely gestured for Scar to continue.

“I asked the Forest, and it said I needed to find the ‘mansion of the deep woods’. Aaaaand the only one who knows how to get there is the Raven’s heir.”

“…Who’s the ‘Raven’s heir’?”  
Xisuma asked, putting down his shovel.

“The Forest said it was a woman with ‘coal-black hair’ and ‘eyes of steel’. Apparently I’ve seen her before – I don’t remember seeing anyone though.

She’s also prone to permakilling people.”

“Wait what?! But we have respawn here, permakills aren’t possible!”

“I… don’t think this ‘Raven’s heir’ plays by the rules…”  
The Admin looked at him sharply.

“But that doesn’t matter. I _have_ to go.”

“No way.”

“b-but–” Scar stuttered.

“No! What if you perma? Then we’ll have lost two hermits instead of one! Me, Doc and Cub are still searching-”

“-We both know that’s not going to work! This is our chance, X – to bring back our friend! We can’t just give up!”

“Scar, please.”  
Xisuma spoke quietly, but the anger in his voice was palpable.

“Please understand. We’ve already lost Grian – how do you think I feel? I’m the Admin, I’m supposed to protect everyone here, and I brought a _murderer!_ ”

“ **NO!** ”  
The wizard yelled, slamming his fist onto the block next to him and crumbling it to pieces with a single blow. His eyes began to glow a deep, forest green. X stared at him, shocked.

**“I’ve already had it with this _crap!_ Grian is our _family_ – he’s been here since Season 6 and he’s never hurt anyone! I don’t care what he did before, and neither should you! Did you see what that ‘angel’ did to him?! He doesn’t deserve this!”**

“Scar-”

**“When I joined Hermitcraft, nobody asked about my past! When Wels joined, nobody asked why he abandoned his kingdom! When you asked us to join, _nobody asked why you wear that damn helmet all the time!_ You might be cruel enough to leave him behind, but I WON’T!”**

With that, he jumped off of the platform they were standing on and soared away to the forest once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Worldhopping - To jump from world to world through the use of portals you create using your magic.
> 
> Tell me in the comments what you think about Wels! Is he still a good person in your eyes? Or do you think he's a bad friend for not trusting Grian?
> 
> P.S. Come check me out on Tumblr!  
> @desperatememes


	4. Travelling Companion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back yall!!!!!

Scar landed next to a river and sat down, the quiet rushing of the water the only sound. Slowly, the red drained from his sight, and thought about what X had said.

“H-he didn’t mean it, I’m sure he’s j-just stressed! Y-y-yeah, that’s it…” He told himself reassuringly. He stayed a few more minutes to cool down – but those minutes sat by the peaceful river soon turned into hours, and before he knew it, it was nighttime.

The wizard was pulled out of his unintentional AFK session by the sound of a zombie dying nearby.  
“Huh? Who’s there?” he called, standing up.

He caught a brief flash of lime green before they disappeared, and a memory darted through his mind, of flying over the dark oak forest and seeing Mumbo in weird green leather armour, _but Mumbo doesn’t have long hair–_

_Crap._

Scar went to chase them, but whoever it was had long gone.  
Well, at least now I know where to look, he thought as he pulled the string on a new stack of rockets.

10 minutes later, he was back at his base, grabbing a few more stacks of rockets, a shield, and extra magic crystals.  
“I have to be quick,” he murmured as he rummaged through various chests and shulker boxes, “before X comes to stop me… _Aha!_ ”  
He pulled out the last item he needed; his fox mask. Carefully stowing it in his inventory, he then made his way out of Larry and back into the sky.

Suddenly, Scar heard his communicator buzz, and he looked down at the screen.

:Iskall85: Any1 seen Mumbo?  
:XisumaVoid: No….  
:TangoTek: Not in the SD*!  
:MumboJumbo: Calm down guys im fine  
:Iskall85: Well you cant blame me for being worried!! Where r u?  
:MumboJumbo: – – –> :GoodtimewithScar: Im at G’s base. Can you come?  
:GoodtimewithScar: – – –> :MumboJumbo: ?  
:MumboJumbo: – – –> :GoodtimewithScar: I found something  
:GoodtimewithScar: – – –> :MumboJumbo: Okay… omw  
:Iskall85: MJ where r you??  
:MumboJumbo: Dont call me MJ its weird  
:Cubfan135: It sounds like a girls name  
:MumboJumbo: Cub!!!! D:<  
:StressMonster101: Haha, welcome to the team gurl  
:FalseSymmetry: Oh god nooo  
:ZombieCleo: Mumbo woud make a terrible girl  
:XisumaVoid: Would he tho?

Scar landed on the grass, turning off his communicator. He looked up, seeing Mumbo sitting cross-legged on the cold ground.  
“Mumbo? What did you find?”

“Look at this.”  
The redstoner held up what he’d been turning in his hands – a long, black feather, far larger than any bird’s.

“So? It’s a feather.  
He brushed it off, unconcerned.

“Grian’s feathers are gold. And no ordinary bird drops a feather this big.”

“Maybe it’s from an unusually big one. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something else as well.” The wizard eased himself onto the ground opposite, the ground hard and unyielding.  
“I think I might know a way to search for Grian, one that’s guaranteed to work. However, to learn how, I gotta find someone called the raven’s heir. She’ll lead me to somebody who can teach me.”

The feather dropped from Mumbo’s hand as he stared at the wizard. Without a second’s hesitation, he nodded.  
“I’m in.”

“but I didn’t even-”

“Don’t care. I’m coming.”

“Good thing I brought this then!” Scar handed him the fox mask, smiling. He saw that the man looked confused, and hurried to elaborate.  
“If we are going to the deep wood, you’ll need protection. My magic should be strong enough now to shield me from the spirits, but you can wear that instead.”

“I’m not even gonna ask why I need protection,” the moustached man said, slipping the mask over his head.  
“I’ll just take your word for it.” His voice came out slightly muffled, but otherwise he didn’t feel any different.  
A distant ‘Mumbo?!’ sent them both scrambling to their feet, rockets poised to take off.

“Come on, let’s get going before Iskall finds you. This way!”  
Scar pointed east, and they jumped into the air.


	5. Uh Oh...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumbo and Scar reach the Deep Forest... and run into a sliiight problem...

“Look! There it is!”  
The two gently touched down in a tree, peering through the branches. Mumbo noticed the sudden change from oak and birch to just dark oak tree, and knew they’d arrived.

“That’s the deep forest?!”  
Scar nodded, and dropped down to the forest floor.

“C’mon, let’s go.”

The shade of the trees cast deep shadows on the grass as they crept through the undergrowth. Neither of them said anything, not wanting to break the oppressive silence that blanketed the forest.

They’d only been walking for around ten minutes when Scar heard a rustle in the brush to their left. He held up his hand to signal for Mumbo to stop, and squinted closer. A clank of bones and the sight of an arrow whizzing past his head was enough to tell him that A) it was a skeleton, and B) they should probably run.

The wizard elbowed his companion, backed up a couple steps, then spun around and sprinted away.

Mumbo felt the sharp jab in his side and turned, but Scar had already _Scar_ pered (ha!), leaving him to fight the skeleton himself. The second he drew his sword, however, a whole horde of zombies came from all around him, the stench of rotten flesh making his feel sick. He swung his sword in a wide arc, cutting down a few in front of him, but the rest advanced faster. The redstoner hacked and cut in all directions, sweat running down his brow. 

But the undead mobs just kept on coming, though, and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer– he was a technician, not a fighter. The thought of a painful respawn thanks to being torn apart and eaten was enough to spur him on, and he kept swinging until the diamond blade fell from numb fingers. Mumbo dropped to his knees, knowing his fate but too tired to care. A cold, grasping hand briefly groped at his neck, and he could smell the disgusting creature’s rancid breath as it prepared to bite.

* * *

  
The forest grew denser as Scar ran for his life, and he turned to grab ahold of Mumbo so they wouldn’t be separated. When he stopped, the second pair of footsteps he’d heard ceased along with his own, and he froze with shock.

_Mumbo was gone._

_He’d left him behind._

A cry of pain echoed through the trees, coming from all around.  
He ran through the bushes, backtracking until he came to where they’d been walking only 20 minutes ago. There was nothing.

 _Stupid stupid stupid traitor stupid…_  
He mumbled the words over and over again until they lost all meaning.

“Stupid stupid stupid raven-”  
He stopped.  
“Raven. Right. Mumbo might have respawned, but I still have to find the Raven’s heir.”

With renewed determination, he kept walking, silent promises repeating in his mind.

_I’ll avenge you, Mumbo._   
_I’ll find you, Raven’s heir._   
_I’ll save you, Grian._

  
A cry of pain that was not his own echoed through the trees, and Mumbo looked up in shock to see a young woman about his age with a large bitemark in her arm where she’d put it between him and the zombie. As he watched incredulously, she drew an iron sword dyed a dark green and began to massacre the undead creatures, never seeming to tire. Her long black hair flew around her face as she fought, a pine green cloak fluttering behind her like wings.

Suddenly, the woman backed up, not looking away from the endless mobs.  
“Run!” she hissed, and dashed past him. This time, he wasn’t left behind as they darted through the trees, leaving the zombies milling about in confusion.

Mumbo’s legs felt like lead but he pushed on, not wanting to lose the woman who blended in so well with the foliage around them. A few minutes later, the woman slowed down, then stopped altogether.

“This way.”   
She scrambled up a nearby tree like a spider, and dropped a rope ladder for him, but he hesitated, hand on the first rung. Could he trust her? To be fair, the girl had helped him – if she wanted him dead, she could have just left him to the zombies. On the other hand, he was pretty sure she was the person they were looking for, and didn’t Scar say she was rather good at _permakilling people?!_  
  
“Are you coming or not?” The woman made to tug the ladder back up, and he grasped the smooth wood under his hand tighter.

“Y-Yes, I’m coming!”  
He clambered up, and followed her across a rope bridge strung between two trees. On the other side was a small wooden platform and what was essentially a tree house, camouflaged with leaves and built around the main trunk.   
  
Just as he stepped off of the platform, Mumbo heard a hiss from behind him. The green-clad woman turned around, reached casually past him (giving him a wide berth as she did so) and pulled on something. He looked over his shoulder and watched as the bridge fell away, dropping the spider to the forest floor.  
“Come inside, quick.” She opened the door, motioning him inside without actually touching him.  
  
“Sit.” Her voice had a slight accent that he couldn’t quite place – _Japanese maybe?_ – and she sounded trustworthy, if curt.  
  
She moved away, rummaging through a chest, and he glanced around, spotting a low table with a long mat on either side. Was that where she meant?  
  
His suspicions were confirmed when she returned with two wooden bowls and sat cross-legged on the mat. He imitated her pose, but his legs protested and he quickly changed position. The girl seemed amused by this, and set down the bowls on the low table, presumably to go get him a chair instead. Mumbo peered closer and tried to guess what they contained. It looked like mushroom stew – but whatever it was, it smelt delicious.   
The woman returned with a low stool and passed him one of the bowls, avoiding his touch.  
  
“Go on. Eat – It’s just mushroom stew.”  
She picked up the other bowl in both hands and sipped from it slowly, whereas the famished redstoner downed the entire thing in two gulps. It tasted amazing, but he tried to keep his expression blank as the riot of flavour exploded in his mouth.  
  
“So... thanks for saving my life out there. My name’s Mumbo – what’s yours?” He set down the bowl and put out his hand for her to shake, but she shied away from it, giving him a low bow from the waist instead.  
  
“Call me Kuri.”


	6. Scar, you idiot!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scar is having an issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU HAVE MAGIC DUMBASS SCAR

“Your name is Kuri? That’s a beautiful name!”  
Mumbo beamed at her, and she looked away. No harm in trying flattery, he thought.  
  
“It is not my _name_. But you may call me it if you must.”  
  
“O-oh... Okay...?” He was slightly bewildered by the vague answer, but didn’t say anything.  
“How did you know where I was to come and help me?”  
  
His host smiled.  
“The Forest tells me everything. Plus, did you really think I wouldn’t notice? I’ve been following you and your friend ever since you set foot on Deep Wood soil.”  
  
“That’s right – my friend! I completely forgot about Scar! We need to go find him!”  
  
“He is safe for now. I will bring him here soon. But first... What on earth are you doing in the Deep Wood?!”  
  
“We, uh, we’re looking for you actually... Are you the Raven’s Heir?”  
  
Kuri was silent for a moment.  
“Y-Yes...” She said quietly, abruptly standing up.  
“Why are you looking for me?”  
  
“Well, me and Scar-”  
He was interrupted by a dim green light emanating from Kuri’s eyes. It glowed for a few seconds, then stopped.  
“Explanations can wait – I have to go. The Forest wants me to go find your friend. Stay here, and don’t touch anything.”  
Then she was out of the door, shutting it firmly behind her.  
  
“Well that was fun.” Mumbo muttered sarcastically to the empty room.  
  
  
  
  
  
_Scar..._  
  
  
 _Scar..._  
  
  
  
He heard the call of the Deep Wood spirits, and shuddered.  
Good thing I have my magic, or it’d be the Vex all over again, he thought.  
  
_Scar..._  
  
A different voice emanated from the gloom around him, one he knew.  
Grian.  
  
_Scar, come with us..._  
  
Of all the friends they chose to use against him!   
He swiped at the air angrily.  
  
_Scar, don’t be scared..._  
  
 _I’ll help you..._  
  
 _Come to us..._  
  
 _Scar..._  
  
He shook his head violently.  
“Go away!” he yelled.  
  
But they didn’t.  
  
_Scar..._  
  
 _Scar..._  
  
He made the mistake of opening his mind – just for a second, but long enough – and they seized the opportunity to exploit his thoughts.  
  
_Scar, what’s the point in leaving this world? I’m right here..._  
  
 _Scar..._  
  
 _Won’t you come help me...?_  
  
“No! L-Leave me alone!” He tried to make his voice sound strong, but it wavered a little.  
It was just the spirits messing with him, Grian wasn’t really there, it was just-  
  
_You don’t want to see me again?_  
The voices grew clearer, sharper, faster... louder.  
  
_Traitor..._  
  
 _Scar..._  
 _Scar..._  
 _Scar...!_  
 _Scar...!_  
 _SCAR!_  
  
They filled his head, whispering everything he tried to forget.  
  
_You should have stayed dead, Scar-_  
 _-all your fault-_  
 _Scar..._  
 _-You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?_  
  
Xisuma joined them, yelling in his ear.  
  
_Scar..._  
 _Scar..._  
  
“Scar?!”  
A hand waved in front of his face, but he squeezed his eyes shut.  
“Oh, you idiot.”  
  
_You’re a disappointment..._  
  
 _You were never my friend!_  
 _Never..._  
 _We pitied you! Poor cursed Scar, how the mighty have fallen!_  
  
 _Don’t you want to redeem yourself......?_  
  
“Alright that’s enough! Out!”  
  
Suddenly, the cacophony of voices in his head disappeared, and he opened his eyes. The silence was deafening.  
  
A woman stood in front of him, a woman with black hair, pale skin, and eyes the colour of steel.  
  
She smiled without warmth.  
  
“Hello, brother.”


	7. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion and a revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh so many chaptersssss

“B-Brother? I’m not...”  
Scar stared at her, bewildered.  
“We are both of the Forest, are we not? Open and Deep are not so different, after all. You may know me as the Raven’s Heir – your friend mentioned you were looking for me by that title.”  
  
“My... friend?” His eyes twinkled with hope. Maybe he made it out...  
  
“...Mumbo, I believe. The forest told me to help him – he would have been zombie food otherwise.”  
“Where is he?” he looked around as though the lanky redstoner might appear out of nowhere.  
  
“Safe. I shall take you there, unless you wish to be eaten.” Kuri flashed him a sinister, wolfish grin.  
“That too can be arranged.”  
  
The wizard’s eyes widened at the idle threat.  
“N-No, thanks...”  
“This way, then. But tread lightly – the day is not as young as it was.”  
  
Glancing up, Scar saw that she was correct – what he could see of the sun (which was precious little through the thick canopy) was well past the midday mark, and close to the horizon.  
  
They reached Kuri’s home shortly after, having taken a shortcut through the trees. As it turned out, she built many bridges to make for faster (and safer) travel, and Scar was glad he wasn’t on the forest floor, crawling with mobs as it was.  
“Your friend is inside.” She said curtly, opening the door.  
  
“Scar!” Mumbo shot up from his chair and crushed the bearded man in a hug, his expression relived.  
Scar hugged him back, guilt washing over him in waves.  
  
“Mumbo- _urk!_ -I’m so sorry I left you behind! Those pesky spirits, they duplicated my footsteps, I swear I thought you were with me-”  
  
“Hey, it’s okay!” He pulled back from the hug, but kept his hands on Scar’s shoulders.  
“It’s my fault, I should have been quicker on the uptake...”  
The wizard gently took Mumbo’s hands from his shoulders, smiling.  
  
“...Thanks.”  
  
He noticed Kuri standing behind his mustached companion and stepped around him, towards her.  
“So, Kuri...” He began, not sure what to say.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Thank you, too. You saved both of us!”  
  
“The Forest told me to help, and I cannot disobey.”  
Her face was impassive, but Scar sensed the underlying sadness in her words.  
“Yes, well... um...”  
  
“So why are you looking for me again?” The woman quickly changed the subject, inadvertedly saving him from embarrassment.  
  
“We need your help. We have to find the mansion of the deep woods – I’m told you know the way?”  
  
If Kuri’s skin was pale before, it became even whiter as the blood drained from her face.  
“Then whomever told you was mistaken.”  
  
“The Forest told me. And it does not lie.”  
The wizard’s voice was kind but stern .  
  
“Why...” Her voice was dry and came out as no more than a whisper, so she cleared her throat ad tried again.  
“Why would you want to go there?”  
  
Scar glanced at Mumbo, unsure of how much he should say. The man simply met his eyes and nodded, but the message was clear. Tell her.  
  
“Our friend has been taken out of this world against his will, so we’re trying to find him. The Forest said that I could learn to worldhop from the people there. Will you take us?”  
  
Kuri turned away, her back to the two of them. Her cloak seemed to move slightly, although there was no wind, and he noticed a large black feather by her feet. Scar was about to remark on it when she spoke, still not looking at either of them.  
“If he is no longer in this world, what makes you think you can find him?”  
  
“We don’t think, we know. We will find him, because we won’t give up until we do.”  
Mumbo spoke up, the determination in his voice surprising even Scar. The woman gave a small chuckle, one devoid of any real mirth.  
  
“How loyal you are. Your friend is truly a lucky person.” She said bitterly.  
“What’s his name?”  
  
“Grian.” Mumbo answered. He was shocked by her reaction – her entire body stiffened with... Fear? Anger? .........Joy?   
  
His last notion was dispelled when she whirled around, her face brimming with cold fury.  
“ ** _What did you say?!_** ”

“I-I said, h-his name is Grian.”

“You know him?” Scar butted in, noticing the light of recognition in those cold, steely eyes. 

“I did, once. But I had hoped to never see him again.” She spat.

“Why?”

She looked at him, eyes filling with pain.  
“He’s the reason I’m here – the reason I’m cursed!”  
A tear tracked its way down her face as she stepped forward, hands fumbling at the clasp of her cloak. It fell away, and both Mumbo and Scar gaped in shock at what it had been hiding.

Two beautiful wings spread behind her - Angel’s wings that glowed with an unearthly light.

Yet every feather was a deep, soulless _**black.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just give a massive thanks and round of applause to A Bee, Lanky Lorax, Ginger Coin, Ashy Witch, and the Idiot. Y'all know who you are, Y'all know you are amazing, and I know you'll never see this :P, but I love you guys anyways. 
> 
> Awooooooo! <3


	8. The Truth.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tale of love, misery, and guilty resurrection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS IT THIS IS IT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS CHAPTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Scar stared at Kuri. _An angel?!_  
“What – What happened to your wings?”  
  
She sighed, bringing one round to curl in front of her and running her fingers through the feathers.  
“Do you really want to hear it?”  
  
Mumbo scanned the wizard’s face briefly, and stood next to him.  
“Yes.”  
  
“I suppose I ought to start at the beginning.”  
  
She let go of her wing and sat on the floor, motioning for them both to join her as she began her tale.  
  
“Many years ago, I used to live in a Hardcore world. I went to high school with Grian – although back then, we knew him as Merle. I used to date one of his friends; his name was Sam and he was an Angel like me, whereas Grian and Tautis (Sam’s other friend) were mortals.  
Sam was a very nice person at first. But slowly, he began to hurt other people, and taught me to do the same.  
  
One day, he murdered Taurtis’ girlfriend, a beautiful Angel called Salex. Taurtis was rightfully angry beyond belief, and confronted Sam, calling him a psychopath and a murderer.  
Sam... told me that I should kill Taurtis, and I refused. Grabbing his friend, Sam held him in front of me and hissed: ‘If you don’t stab him, I will!’. I refused again, telling him to do it himself. I didn’t believe he would really hurt his best friend, but looking into his eyes, I saw no regret there, and no remorse. He merely said: ‘Fine, but you’re hiding the body’ before stabbing his struggling friend in the back. He dropped him, and his corpse lay lifeless on the floor. Neither of us had noticed Merle come in, but he ran to his friend and cried. He looked up at my boyfriend, who was wiping the blade of his knife on his jeans with a sadistic pleasure.  
‘Why did you kill Taurtis?!’ Merle asked him, and Sam’s answer was so genuine it scared me.  
  
_“What are you talking about? You’re Taurtis.”_  
_The bunny ears on the boy’s hat flopped over his face as he leaned down and took the trademark headphones from around Taurtis’ neck and placed them gently around Grian’s._  
_“Come on Tautis, Yuki, let’s go eat something!”_  
_“I’m not Taurtis! You killed him!”_  
_SamGladiator stepped up to Grian and rolled up the sleeve of his red sweater all the way to the elbow. His grip was like iron around Grian’s forearm and, struggle as he might, he couldn’t get away. Sam slowly ran his knife across the underside of his arm, opening a shallow cut and causing Grian to cry out._  
_“I said, let’s go eat something... **Taurtis.** ”_  
  
“It only got worse from there. Sam would torture Merle, beating him and cutting him to pieces if he so much as mentioned his birth name. Gradually, he began to hate Sam for what he made us do, but I still loved him and tried to temper his cruelty, despite how he treated us. After all, I was just a terrible Angel as he was.  
  
Then one night, Grian snapped.”  
  
_“Taaaaurtiiis...” Sam called in a sing-song voice, knife in hand._  
_“I’m not Taurtis! My name is Merle!”_  
_The rabbit-eared man’s eyes darkened with anger and he drew a longer knife from his pocket, throwing the first to his girlfriend. He towered over Grian, stabbing him in the shoulder. Suddenly, the injured boy stumbled back, yanking the knife out of Sam’s hands. Blinded by anger, he pulled it out of his body and drove it hard into his former friend and tormentor’s ribs. The knife grated against bone, and he let go with a shudder. He and Yuki watched as Sam crumpled to the floor, blood staining the carpet a deep red._  
  
“A light began to shine from him, and Sam’s wings crumbled to dust as ones grew on Merle’s back. The only difference was that instead of white, they were a shining gold. I couldn’t believe my eyes – I’d heard about this happening before, but it was just a myth! I stood up from where I was sat on Sam’s bed, but I stumbled.  
I landed in Merle’s arms. It must have been his reflex to catch me; there was no love on either side. But as I pushed him away, my wings lost their shine, the black bleeding into the white like ink on paper. To this day, I’m not sure what happened, but I felt a knife slip into my stomach.”  
She lifted her green tunic slightly to reveal a knot of scar tissue in her abdomen.  
“I fell, and ended up here, close to death. The ravens discovered my body and pleaded with the Deep Forest to bring me back to life. It did, but with a curse: I had to obey the Forest Spirits, and I could never touch a man again, or I would die.  
  
“So now I am trapped here, my wings forever black to remind me of the past. I kill ever man that dares to venture here for fear that they might kill me, and I follow the Deep Forest’s every command. I am cursed until I die, and it’s all because of _him!_ ”  
  
Mumbo and Scar sat, speechless at the tale they’d just been told.  
“Grian... Never told us this...”  
  
Kuri – or Yuki, as she was called before – glanced at him, then back to the floor.  
“Do not think less of him,” She spoke calmly, but her voice was still bitter.  
“He was the victim, not me. I spoke purely out of anger – it was not Merle’s fault. I am the one who made Sam what he was, and this is the least I deserve. I am a killer. A bad person. And a leopard can never change her spots. “  
  
“Kuri...We should tell you something.”  
She looked up, not meeting the wizard’s eyes.  
  
“We didn’t know his name before, but the Angel Grian perma’d... Came back. He’s the one who kidnapped Grian.”  
  
The black-winged angel stared at him, her eyes full of terror... and something else.  
“B-But that means...”  
  
“ _ **Sam... Isn’t dead** **.**_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha misery go brrr
> 
> I know I completely messed up the YHS timeline, pls dont hate me T-T


	9. A change of heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interesting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short chapter because I haven't typed up chap. 10 yet O.O

Mumbo glanced at Kuri apprehensively.  
“Hold on a minute – if you kill everyone who comes here, why aren’t we dead?”  
  
“The Forest told me I could not. But make no mistake – if it hadn’t, you would have died long before now.”  
  
Scar stood up, pulling Mumbo up with him.   
“Will you take us to the mansion or not?”  
His tone was steely and guarded.  
  
“I will – but on one condition.”  
The cursed angel stood, wings stretching out behind her to their fullest extent.   
“I’m coming with you to find him.”  
  
“W-What?!”  
“I won’t lie to you. I want to see Sam. But hear me out – I won’t betray you to him, nor will I kill Merle. You have my word.”  
  
Mumbo and Scar shared a look.  
“Excuse us for a second.” The wizard drew his friend out of earshot.  
  
“Can we trust her? After all, she did save both of us...” Mumbo whispered.  
“I’m not sure... but if we refuse, we’ll never find Grian!” Scar replied. He was convinced that worldhoppping was the fastest and possibly the only way to find him, and Mumbo agreed.  
“If we touch her, she’ll die, right? Maybe we could use that against her...”   
The redstoner mused.  
  
“In case you were concerned,” Kuri called from the other side of the room, “The Deep Forest has echoed my words. I cannot deceive you now, even if I wanted to.”   
Her eyes still glowed slightly, but Scar wasn’t sure whether to believe her or not. The bearded wizard raised his voice so that she could hear him, his tone cold.  
  
“Why would the Forest Spirit do that?” He asked warily.  
  
“You are of the Open Forest, and you both live in the Jungle. You have the protection of both spirits, and killing you would only anger them.”  
  
“Oh...”  
“That makes sense...” Mumbo murmured out of the corner of his mouth.  
The two friends looked at each other for a long moment.  
  
“For Grian?” Scar held up his hand.  
“For Grian.” The moustached redstoner affirmed, clasping it briefly before letting go and looking towards Kuri.  
  
  
  
“ _ **Take us to the mansion.**_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DONT HATE ME
> 
> Also feel free to go check out my Tumblr  
> @desperatememes
> 
> I recently posted an idea of Kuri's appearance that I'm quite proud of, go check it out! There will be no spoilers but maybe tiny hints at things to come ;3


	10. A Dangerous Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it a bad thing if you forget that Kudos exist?  
> Thanks for 100 Kudos on Mid-Flight guys!! I really appreciate it, your comments - every one - inspire me more than you could ever know.
> 
> <3

The mansion of the Deep Woods was a huge, imposing structure, made of dark oak planks and cobblestone. It sat sprawled in the centre of the woods, invisible to the casual observer as it blended in with the trees. They circled overhead – Scar and Mumbo using their elytra, Kuri her wings – and surveyed the gloomy building, seemingly devoid of life. Kuri landed on the roof, and they did the same.

“There’s no end of Evokers and Vindicators in there, but if we bump in to the Illusioner, we’ll have trouble.” The cursed angel muttered, keeping her voice low. She shuddered.

“Trust me.”

“How are we going to get in then?”

“I-”

“Wait!” Scar interrupted.

“The Forest said that the people here would teach me worldhopping! How am I supposed to learn if they’re hostile?”

She raised an eyebrow at him.

“The Illusioner doesn’t know crap about worldhopping. No-one in there does.”

“But that’s what it told me!”

The wizard gestured helplessly, raising his voice slightly.

“Keep it down!” Kuri hissed, poking him with the pommel of her sword.

“What exactly did the Forest say?”

“Um...” He stalled for a second, then remembered.

_You must find the mansion of the Deep Woods..._

_Only there will you find the knowledge you seek..._

“and there you have it. The Forest never said anyone would teach you, just that the knowledge was here. I’ll bet it’s one of the books in the library – we’ll check there first.”

She stood, pulling out an iron axe and making a 2x2 hole in the flat roof. Without warning, the cursed angel jumped through, spreading her wings a split second before hitting the ground.

Scar hesitated for a second, but Mumbo didn’t, descending gracefully then somewhat ruining the effect by tripping on the thick carpet and faceplanting into the floor. Kuri sniggered and the redstoner glared at her, brushing himself off haughtily as he tried to regain the last shreds of his dignity. He failed.

The wizard rolled his eyes, pulled out his bow ready and glided down, nailing the landing (much to Mumbo’s annoyance).

“So where’s the library?” The moustached man asked their ‘guide’, drawing attention away from the difference.

“How would I know? I’ve never exactly _explored_ the place. Even though I was here before, I just wanted to get out as soon as possible.”

_You were here before?_ Scar thought, but he didn’t ask; there was no time for idle questions and he sensed he wouldn’t get an answer anyway. He turned towards the left-hand corridor and started walking.

“Then this way’s as good as any.”

He began, then hit a dead end.

“Buuuuut not as good as the other way.” He concluded.

* * *

20 minutes, 8 dead Vindicators and countless wrong turns later, they reached their destination. The library was huge, and filled with thousands of books about magic, potions, enchanting and more. Finding the right book was going to be a nightmare! The bearded man voiced this thought, and was met with a condescending glare from Kuri.

“Not if we find the Librarian, _idiot_.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but Mumbo hurriedly interrupted, sensing an argument brewing.

“How do we find the librarian then?”

He butted in.

The angel’s wings twitched and she turned her irritated gaze on him. It was then that he realised her demeanour of cold rationality was a façade – a superbly maintained one, for sure – but as it slipped, _just_ for a second, he saw the pure undiluted **terror** in those steely gray eyes.

Then her shields were back up and she sighed in annoyance.

“ _We_ aren’t finding the Librarian, _I_ am. Wait here and **DON’T. MOVE.** I’ll be right back.”

She snuck out from their hiding place, using bookshelves as cover until she disappeared from their sight.

“If you don’t suggest we follow her, I’ll drag you along.”

The redstoner said.

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Scar replied, and moved to the edge so he could glance round.

“ ** _You coming?_** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Just so you know, I have a Tumblr!!!  
> @desperatememes  
> I don't have a regular posting schedule but I occasionally post little tid-bits or pieces of lore that I can't write into the chapters, so go check it out!  
> Thanks!


	11. Shock to the System

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LATIN

As they made their way through the labyrinth of bookshelves, they heard a voice – a man’s – speaking in a language he’d never heard before. Mumbo saw Scar’s eyes widen though, and he knew the wizard could understand it – although _how_ was beyond him.

His friend peeked out from their new hiding place and swung back abruptly. Slowly, the two poked their heads out _just_ enough to see what was happening – and even if Mumbo couldn’t understand the exchange happening between the docile, axe-less Vindicator (that he presumed was the librarian), he had to supress a gasp.

Kuri was knelt at the Librarian’s feet, glowing blood dripping from somewhere on her face. The tight plait she normally wore had come undone, long sheets of black hanging over her face and hiding it.

“Te interficiam me, tamen tibi non accipere sanguinem.” She said in a low voice, then stood. Her hair fell away from her face and revealed the cause of her bleeding – a thin cut running across her left cheekbone, stopping where it met her nose. It was shallow, and probably wouldn’t scar, but the lanky brit still winced in sympathy.

“Ego assumam mihi sanguine-debito.”

The Librarian grabbed ahold of the cursed angel’s wrist and slashed it open with his nails in one quick movement. She didn’t even flinch and he held it up, letting the eerily luminous blood trickle into his cupped hand. He lifted it to his mouth and _drank_ the blood, licking up the dribbles down his arm with a long black tongue that flickered like a snake’s.

Mumbo had to fight not to throw up.

Abruptly, the Librarian turned and plucked a book from one of the shelves behind him with his unbloodied hand.

“Angelus sanguinem... cogitatio nunquam gustus iterum post te... _reliquit_. Hic.”

His voice carried a tone of amusement as he watched Kuri bandage her wound with a strip ripped off of her tunic. When she’d finished, he handed her the book and she took it reverently.

“Tunc fortuna.” She swayed slightly, then recovered.

“Et tu dic nemo de hoc? Etiam non Magistro?”

“Non etiam in Dominum.” The Librarian confirmed, and disappeared between the stacks, interaction over. Hurriedly, Scar and Mumbo retraced their steps back to the original hiding place, trying to act nonchalant. Both were still shook by what they’d seen, Scar notably more so – after all, he understood what they were saying. The two deliberately didn’t mention her ripped tunic, but remarked on the new cut – it would have seemed suspicious if they hadn’t. The wound _was_ pretty noticeable.

“I’m fine, just walked into a shelf.”

She brushed it off, seemingly unconcerned.

They didn’t question her further, but Mumbo caught a glimpse of Scar testing the edge of the bookshelf behind him and raising an eyebrow.

“ _but_ I have the book.” She continued. The wizard held out both hands and she passed it to him gently. They stood for a moment, staring at the ticket to their friend’s freedom.

 _Finally!_ Mumbo’s thoughts exploded in joy and a smile spread over his face.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Scar said, and for once, he whole-heartedly agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELP ME I'M RUNNING OUT OF PREWRITTEN CHAPTERSS


	12. An Illusion of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BETRAYAL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the clever play on words in the title?  
> Hehehehe
> 
> Tumblr!!!  
> @desperatememes

The dim hallways mocked them with their emptiness, flickering torchlight casting strange shadows across the blood-red carpet. Tension hung in the air, a feeling that something was going to happen – something _bad_.

The two hermits didn’t seem to notice the heavy foreboding blanketing them, but Kuri did. She drew her sword as they crept along, ignoring the other’s instinctively mistrustful looks. She was used to them by now.

Suddenly, a splash potion came out of nowhere, slamming into the back of Mumbo’s head. He crumpled to the floor like a paper doll, near invisible particles of smoke rising from his body.

“Mumbo!” Scar dropped to his knees beside his fallen ‘friend’. Kuri spun to identify their attacker – just an evoker, she thought – and froze in shock.

_Nonononononononono-_

“Commodo…”

_NONONONONONO-_

“Sic, Maledictus Unum redit... Recipiet.”

**_NO!_ **

* * *

The sound of shattering glass and a body thudding to the ground alerted Scar of their predicament and he fell into a crouch beside Mumbo, calling his name. He didn’t respond, but the wizard recognised the particles flying off of him as grey slowness potion smoke, which meant it must have been the bottle slamming into his head which knocked him out.

He heard Kuri muttering something to his right and he looked up.

“Wha-”

The woman was white as a sheet (if not whiter) and muttering every profanitic word under the sun – a few he’d heard, and many he hadn’t. Scar followed her gaze, and saw a man in a long blue cloak with the grey skin and angry Lapis eyes of the evokers. Behind him stood the Librarian, holding an axe this time and grinning.

“ _You_ …” The cursed angel growled in that ancient language.

“ _You betrayed us!_ ”

“ _An easy decision._ ” The snake tongue flickering out of his mouth as he spoke.

“ _Let you go, and I drink once. Turn you in… and I drink **forever** …”_

He bared his teeth in a grim parody of a smile. They were as sharp as razors, and serrated like a shark’s.

The man in the blue cloak made a gesture in the air and all the torched flared up, their flames turning a deep, Lapis blue.

Kuri backed up with a cry, eyes wide with pure terror. Her tough, cold demeanour was gone, and Scar saw what was really underneath; a young woman, ravaged by a bad life, believing feelings were a weakness that would get her hurt again.

For a second, the wizard almost believed he was standing outside his body, time frozen. He saw himself through the angel’s eyes; a man resurrected _without_ a curse, coming to ask for her help to find the very person who killed her in the first place. To be fair though, she wanted to find the hooded figure – she loved him – no, she loved Sam, but the angel person they were searching for was just a monster with his face.

He snapped back to himself just in time to duck the sword strike of a Vex. Suddenly, their leftover magic rose up in him, and he fought to keep it down while also dodging the tiny thing’s blade. Scar cast around wildly for his companions, and spotted Kuri cowering against a wall and swinging desperately at the Vindicators surrounding her. Hollering loudly, he sprinted toward them and jumped, landing on the back of one and driving his sword right through its neck.

The cursed angel stared at him in shock, lowering her sword slightly. Even she was shocked by his sudden rush of bravery as he continued, hacking at the mobs with renewed strength.

Out of nowhere, a huge, spiky mouth rose from the ground, latching onto Kuri’s leg and dragging her to the ground.

The wizard narrowly dodged another snapping mouth that reached for him. He couldn’t see Kuri anymore, or Mumbo. He assumed they’d gone out the open window opposite, and while he couldn’t be sure, he had to hope. The precious book was stowed deep in his inventory, but if he was caught they’d undoubtably take it back, leaving them no better off than before.

Scar made his decision, and leapt out of the window, shattered glass glinting in his wake.

He cast around desperately for the familiar suit and shining elytra, only seeing blue sky and white clouds as he plummeted.

His two companions were nowhere to be seen, and he knew that he’d guessed wrong. They were still in there – but there was no way back in for him now!

“This isn’t over!!!”

He screamed, hating his luck and his fate andhis _goddamnself_ – and activated his elytra, spamming rockets until the dreaded place was well out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NEWS
> 
> I am going back to school on Tuesday of next week!  
> (Ah well, one more year)  
> Considering my current schedule is get up, write, eat, write, sleep, repeat and I STILL can barely get chapters out regularly, things are about to get a little bit slower T-T  
> Thankfully though, I have a new posting schedule.
> 
> Tuesday: Mid-Fall
> 
> Wednesday: What If...?
> 
> Friday: Mid-Fall
> 
> Hopefully I can keep up, but I still apologise for everything!! Hope you forgive me T-T <3


	13. Once is Too Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THEY'RE STUCK AND MUMBO'S SOFTNESS IS INCREDIBLE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEll

The first thing Mumbo was aware of was the pain in his head. The back of it throbbed and he touched his hair gently. His hand came away sticky, and in his groggy state it took him a minute to register what it was. He tried to remember what happened yesterday but thinking made his head hurt more and he stopped.

He became aware of the cold stone beneath his cheek and cracked his eyes open – they felt sticky and dry, as though he hadn’t opened them in a while. Raising his head slightly, he attempted to at least sit up, but his back protested violently and he slumped back to the hard floor.

“Whoa there, slow down. You’ll hurt yourself.”

The redstoner recognised Kuri’s voice and shifted uncomfortably, trying to get his arms underneath him. He failed, and a booted foot gently nudged him back to the ground.

“I mean it. You took quite the beating from those idiots.” She coughed violently, and spat something thick and wet on the ground.

“So did you, from the sound of it.” He croaked. His voice sounded like he was talking through gravel.

Silence.

“Kuri?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

She sounded distant, strange.

Moments later, though, she was back down to earth.

“Does your head hurt?” She asked curtly, sitting next to him.

Mumbo tried to give her a ‘What do you think?’ look, but it was a fragile attempt.

“Yesh…” he groaned.

His speech was slightly slurred thanks to his uncomfortable position face-down on the rough cobblestone floor.

“I… I’m sorry…” The angel whispered.

He frowned, confused.

“For what?”

“This is my fault. The second that the M- _Illusioner_ appeared, I froze. I couldn’t-”

She broke off into another coughing fit.

“I couldn’t do anything. We should never have come… one stay here is too many.”

“Itsh not your fault!”

In truth, he had no idea what happened past his unfortunate collision with that potion, but he knew that she was prepared long before they were.

“You warned us, but we got too cocky.”

Kuri snorted disbelievingly, but didn’t say anything more. They sat in silence for a couple more minutes, both thinking about the helplessness of their situation.

The cursed angel must have sensed his lack of hope, because she sighed irritably and threw a small stone at him.

“Oww!” He whined.

“Buck up. Greybeard made it out with the book – we can too.”

He perked up at this, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Schar escaped? He’ll come back for ush then!”

She made another disbelieving noise, quieter than the first.

“Tch. Of course – I forgot you two are ‘friends’. If it were me, I’d just leave you behind; one less idiot to look after.” She muttered.

Mumbo thought for a second, then replied.

“Thatsh not true.”

Kuri shifted uncomfortably.

“O-Of course it is. Most logical course of action; save yourself.”

When the redstoner didn’t reply, she continued, getting slightly faster.

“Coming back would just put yourself in danger again and its better to go alone anyway because you can always trust yourself but you can’t trust other people and you don’t have to fix other people’s mistakes and-”

She stopped herself, clearing her throat and looking away.

“It is true.” She murmured, calm and expressionless.

“I don’t think you remember who I am. Don’t forget the things I have done – and will do. I am still Yuki. My name may have changed, but me? Not one bit.”

She rose and moved out of Mumbo’s limited line of sight, prompting him to try and sit up again. He got his arms underneath him this time and with a violent push flipped onto his back. That was the easy part. 5 minutes later he was propped up on his elbows and finally in a position to take proper stock of his surroundings. They weren’t very exciting though; two mud-brown beds, a broken cauldron, an iron door, and cobblestone. Walls; floor; cobble. Ceiling; too dark to see, but probably cobble. There wasn’t a light source to be seen, but although dim it wasn’t pitch black so there had to be one somewhere.

Presumably, it was behind the door, _just like_ …

The mustached redstoner was reminded eerily of Grian’s cell in the stronghold and shivered.

Kuri stood to his left staring at her hands, unmoving.

The cursed angel didn’t seem to have noticed his struggle as she completely ignored his curious look. Though mildly rude, it gave him a chance to assess the damage done to both of them.

(TW) The woman’s left trouser leg was ripped off at the knee, long rows of teeth marks ringing her calf. Most of her weight leant heavily on her right leg, but awkwardly, suggesting a sprained ankle. How she was still standing he had no idea – maybe it was an angel thing.

Gashes of various severity covered her arms and face, some showing a glimmer of white in the centre. One eye was blackened, the other dark with pain. Barely an inch of skin wasn’t bruised.

Looking down at himself, he realised he was in less of a terrible condition – bruised, battered, and goddamn tired, sure – but a lot less bloody and broken than she was. Yet _he_ was the one told to rest? Not likely.

“Hey… how long have we been here? And what happened?”

The angel opened her mouth to reply and a dribble of blood spilled out. She coughed and spat for the third time since he’d been awake, holding her chest tight.

“Been about an hour since I woke up, don’t know how long before that. As for what happened… uh… we were spotted, yeah, by the M- _Illusioner_. They hit you with a slowness potion, knocked you out, and greybeard jumped out of the damn window, leaving us behind without a second thought. He’s got sense, I’ll give him that.”

“He… he wouldn’t do that! What if he didn’t get away though… He could be injured, or worse!” A shot of panic knifed through his veins.

“Oh, cry me a river.” She muttered something else as well, but he couldn’t quite make it out. ‘Yo-eh-mu-shi _(yowamushi)_ ’, or something. He summarised however that it was rude and wisely ignored it.

The silence stretched out – a silence that twisted, and had some damage within it.

Without warning, the iron door clanked open, triggered by a hidden switch on the other side. An Evoker stepped through, hands already raised in a summoning position.

The two had just enough time to register its presence before one hand closed around Kuri’s arm and it dragged her out. (Note from the Author: Although they have significantly more intelligence than most mobs, Evoker, Vindicators and the Illusioner _are still mobs_ , and therefore aren’t counted as men and don’t trigger the curse – E) Forgetting his pain, Mumbo leapt up, unconsciously reaching for her without thinking.

His valiant effort was cut short however when the Evoker’s magic stopped him, slamming him into the back wall of the tiny cell.

_Ow._

The spoon forgot it’d already prepared its magic, but he was paradoxically thankful that he hadn’t managed to catch her, considering.

Shifting about from where he sat crumpled against the wall, Mumbo managed to find a semi-comfortable slump and froze, not wanting to aggravate his head even more. Despite himself, his eyes began to slide closed again, like heavy weights were pulling them down.

The last thing he thought before he sunk into oblivion was how worried Xisuma probably was right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw it I can't think of anything to say


	14. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OoF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS TOTALLY MONDAY

He was awoken by Kuri flying _through_ the iron door and landing on her side in front of him.

She hissed in pain, rubbing her shoulder, and Mumbo stared at the broken shards of iron littering the ground.

“How- what- _how did you break that?!_ ”

His question was soon answered by a burly Vindicator, flanked by two Vexes, stepping through the gap.

“Nice throw… _nerd_.” She groaned, suddenly on her feet and facing it.

“ _Go!_ ” She mouthed at him over her shoulder as she leapt for the brute, overbalancing it and disappearing behind the doorframe, giving him a clear route out.

The redstoner stood and stared at the bits of metal for a second, then took action. Picking up the sharpest one he could see, he yanked off his ratty tie and wound it around the blunt, thick end. Then he sprinted through the doorway, makeshift weapon in hand, and came across the Vexes that had been with the Vindicator moments earlier. Lashing out with his new ‘weapon’ he managed to impale one of them, the other swooping out of the way just in time to avoid it. The tiny creature’s momentary distraction was all he needed to get away, and he did, searching the maze-like corridors for Kuri.

Eventually though, _she_ found _him_ , a long wooden pole in her hands. A shard of iron similar to the one he held was lashed to one end with strips of bloodstained green fabric. The cursed angel was flying toward him at high speed, the pole hanging horizontal below her body.

“Grab on!” She yelled, and Mumbo stuck the iron shard in his belt, lifting his hands above his head just in time as they collided.

Instinctively he grasped onto the rough wood when it hit his palms, and he was yanked backward off of his feet, barely checking their speed.

“Over there!”

The angel carrying him muttered a rather nasty word and powered forward, speeding up a little. It was then that an Evoker ran around the corner in front of them, and Kuri did the _coolest_ thing the redstoner had ever seen. And he lived in _Hermitcraft_.

Angling down a little, she jerked the staff, causing him to let go and stumble to the floor. Then, spreading her wings, she shot over him feetfirst and planted her boots squarely in the Evokers. It flew back into the wall, the angel’s feet still connected to its torso.

Mumbo heard ribs crack as she twisted and pushed off from their attacker’s chest, and in extension, the wall, all in one smooth movement.

Now she was on her original position but flying the opposite way, towards the Vindicators previously behind them. Her makeshift spear cut and slashed, leaving bodies in her wake as she darted overhead. Soon, she had a clear path to an open window, and she glanced back for Mumbo.

The lanky technician was struggling with a couple of Vindicators, and made eye contact with her.

“GO!” he called, but the cursed angel hesitated.

_If it were me, I’d just leave you behind…_

_…Most logical course of action…_

_That’s not true…_

_…not true…_

Kuri took flight again, her spear cleaving through the Vindicators and freeing him – momentarily.

Reinforcements were pouring in, and she offered him one end of the staff, indicating he grab it.

She made to fly out of the window, but one of the Vindicators grabbed her wing and she jerked back with a cry, yanking the staff out of Mumbo’s hands and leaving him by the window.

In her last move, she planted the blunt end of the pole in the redstoner’s chest, pushing him off the ledge.

The last he saw before he plunged into the lake below was her pained face being dragged away from the window, yelling.

“Go find greybeard, he needs you to find Merle – Go!”

Then the water closed over his head.

By the time he got back to shore, she was gone, leaving only a single **grey** feather floating in the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna say hi to CR
> 
> I CANT THINK OF ANYTHING FUNNY T-T


	15. Languages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RIP Wizard's Merlin  
> Yes I child fite meh  
> I cried

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is admittedly half a chapter but Its too long otherwise \\_('_')_/

_He had it all planned out._

Find an entry point, grab his friend – _singular_ – and leave. If Kuri made it too, well… he wasn’t going to cry about it.

_He had it all planned out._

The book was safely at the cursed angel’s home, and he’d set his spawn there too.

_But no plan in perfect._

Scar swooped down to earth, making a soft landing on the shore of a lake. He could see an open window above it – there must have been something wrong with the latch because there had been no attempts to close it.

_Maybe a tall man’s makeshit weapon crashed against it and bent it out of shape as he was being pushed out of the window,_ his brain provided, but the wizard quickly dismissed that thought as being too unlikely.

_There’s no way that would happen. It’s dumb._

Drawing his sword, the wizard was preparing to take off when he heard footsteps behind him.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his skin, stumbling and landing hard on his face.

“U-uh, Scar?”

“M-Mumbo?!” He stood up, brushing sand off of his robe, and sheathed his blade, drawing the redstoner in for a hug.

“But how? I-I thought- I was coming b-back for you b-but-”

Mumbo pulled back, shaking his head.

“There’s no time for that. We have to find Kuri!”

“She… she’s still in there?”

_Problem solved. No risks now._

“Yes! We have to go get her!”

“Mumbo, I don’t think…”

Scar stopped, re-evaluated, and mentally kicked his hypocrisy in the ass.

“Okay. Do you have your sword?”

The lanky redstoner pulled the shard of iron from his belt, realising that in his haste, he had actually stuck it through his _trousers_ , leaving two ragged holes in them.

“Um… I have this…?”

The wizard shook his head and handed him a couple of arrows and his own bow (which didn’t have infinity).

“There aren’t many arrows, but maybe we won’t need weapons?”

Even as he said it, Scar knew it was a futile hope.

“Are you sure this is gonna work?

Scar asked, hand tightening on his shoulder.

“Maybe…?”

He whispered back, trying to ignore the disorientating feeling of not being able to see his body.

They’d pinched two invisibility potions from a brewing room a few hallways down, and were trying to sneak along undetected. Being invisible always gave him vertigo, causing him to trip over himself and bring his wizard friend crashing down with him thanks to their inability to let go of each other. If they did, it would be a game of Marco Polo just to find each other again, and that would certainly draw attention.

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring!”

“Ssshhh!”

Luckily, the Evoker didn’t notice the slight noises as it walked straight past them.

“Do you even know where we’re going?”

Mumbo didn’t deign to answer.

“Mumbo-”

“ _Shut up!_ ”

He hissed, glanced around for anything familiar.

“I’m _trying_ to remember!”

He looked down again – an obvious mistake – and promptly fell over, dragging Scar down with him.

“Remind me why you’re leading again?

The wizard muttered dryly as he helped Mumbo back up.

  
“Because at least I’m not as stupid as you!”

He shot back, trying to resist the urge to throw his companion out of the window.

“Χριστέ μου, μετατρέπεσαι σε Κούρι.”

“What?”

“Τίποτα, nothing.”

“Sure, because you-”

Suddenly, he stopped, making Scar bump into him with a quiet curse.

“Θα μπορούσες να με προειδοποιήσεις! Ηλίθιος... What is it?”

Mumbo glanced around at their surroundings, taking in the cracked, scorched wood around them, half a doorway of cobblestone set into the wall.

“We’re here.”

Scar swore softly as he bumped into his invisible companion, effectively stubbing his toe on the other’s heel.

“ _You could have warned me! Idiot…_ What is it?”

He asked, effortlessly slipping from English to the ancient language – the one used for spellcasting – and back again.

He only just noticed his dialect change thanks to how natural it felt, a fact that worried him just a little.

Maybe it was the tension, maybe the Ven magic that was all around them, but Scar could _feel_ the power he _thought_ he’d subdued when he left Season 6.

Though he didn’t yet know it, his eyes already had a slight turquoise hue over their normal deep, forest green, but he _did_ know that he felt slightly more energetic, slightly stronger; and while it might be useful now, he knew all too well that too much of a good thing could certainly kill you.

Or your friends.

Or both.

“We’re here.”

Mumbo whispered, effectively breaking the ex-Vex out of his thoughts, and he squeezed the redstoner’s shoulder to tell him he’d heard.

“Should we get our weapons? They’ll be able to see us, but-”

The wizard queried, but was cut off.

  
“I don’t know…!”

The redstoner ran a hand through his messy black hair, making it even worse.

“ _Remind me why I’m leading again?!_ ”

Scar patted the nervous man’s shoulder comfortingly and smiled sympathetically, before realising that the latter gesture meant nothing as the other couldn’t see him.

“Because you’re not as stupid as me?”

He could almost _see_ the grateful half-smile flicker over his friend’s face at the joke – then with a jolt, he realised it _wasn’t_ almost – he _could_ see Mumbo, wavering and translucent, the stressed expression changing to one of confusion as the redstoner looked right at him.

“Uh, S-Scar? I-I can see you…” He looked down at himself.

“I-I can see _me!_ The potion must have worn off!”

Mumbo hissed, panicking, and desperately glanced around for any sign of them being sighted.

There was nothing yet, but there were undoubtably Vindicators guarding Kuri, and they’d certainly cause a ruckus if the ‘rescue party’ tried to fight their way through.

“ _This is bad…_ ”

Scar muttered, quickly running through various plans in his head, each one more dumb and deadly than the last.

“What if we break through the wall from the room next door?”

Mumbo suggested.

“That’s stupid, and not to mention dangerous!”

The redstoner just grinned at him, a cheeky light in his eyes.

“Stupid and dangerous is my middle name.”

“I like the way you think.”

_After all, wizards don’t make mistakes; they create unexpected possibilities._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say, What If...? WILL be updated on Wednesdays, but only when I have written another part. So not on EVERY Wednesday, but ONLY on Wednesdays.
> 
> Does that make sense?
> 
> Hermitblr!:  
> @desperatememes


	16. A Vexing Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting stronger.
> 
> Fear - The lesser of two evils.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did somebody say a well-planned schedule and prewritten chapters/chapter concepts? *Throws idea out of window and dusts off hands*

“So I’m presuming you have an axe on you, considering you suggested this plan?”

Mumbo stopped short, grinning sheepishly at the wizard.

“Um…”

“You’re kidding! I left mine at home…”

“So did I!”

“ _Then why did you come up with a plan we can’t do?!”_

“ _I don’t know!_ I’m a technician, not a- _mmph!_ ”

Scar clapped his hand over the redstoner’s mouth, glaring at him warningly.

“Too loud!” He hissed, and the other nodded abashedly.

“Sorry…” He murmured, and pulled away from Scar, stepping back and almost tripping over something propped against a table.

It jerked and toppled, leaning like it was going to fall over. The ex-vex willed it not to succumb to gravity and give them away, a violent rushing in his ears belying his panic.

With a begrudging squeak, the shape settled back against the tabletop against the table top again, and the wizard breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing the blue spark that hopped between his fingers.

Stepping towards the shape, Mumbo lifted the object into the dim glow of a torch and his face lit up.

It was an old, rusty axe, obviously left there by its previous owner who’d never come back to collect it – but that was all the better for them, so he wasn’t complaining.

Scar sneezed, making him jump, and he spun to glare at the wizard – but then he noticed something that made his hair stand on end and his admonishment die in his throat.

Scar’s eyes were glowing a light turquoise blue, and crystalline shadows floated behind him, a faint glimmering reminder of a power lost but beginning to be found again. Before they could solidify, though, the wings crumbled into nothingness, lumps of crystal fading before they hit the ground, and Mumbo was left wondering if he’d even seen them at all.

“Why are you staring at me?”

The glowing eyes squinted at him in confusion.

“I was uh-uh-uh _waiting_ for you, to uh, to-to call me a spoon! That’s-that’s what you normally do…” He trailed off as he realised the weight of his words, but Scar didn’t seem to notice. He was hit with such a loneliness, like an arrow through the heart, and everything he’d shoved down suddenly came to the surface – it _hurt_ , this loss, and he almost doubled over with the pain.

 _NO! I won’t give into this, we’ll find him, we will!_ He told himself, and _forced_ it away again.

Scar shook his head and sighed, yanking him out of his thoughts. He reached for the rusty axe in the redstoner’s hand.

“You’re a spoon. Now give me that axe before you drop it.”

He fake-chuckled at the subtle dig and handed it over, watching as Scar ran his hand over the head and checked the durability left.

“Dura’s 1/250, probably got about 4 hits left. Do you wanna do the honours?” He offered it back, but Mumbo hesitated.

“No, you do it.”

Together, they crept to the back of the room, where they estimated they should break through. Scar took a deep breath and chipped away at the wall – one block, then another, then two more, and they hit cobblestone. There wasn’t much room to swing in the 1x2 tunnel, and he went to open it a little wider, but the second it connected with the tough wood for a fifth time the head snapped off the handle, both shattering into mis-matched shards.

Mumbo kicked them out of the way as he edged into the narrow hole, watching the wizard listen for a moment, then pull out his **pick**. The glow of its various enchantments dimly illuminated his face an eerie blue and the technician shuddered for a reason he couldn’t quite name. The enchants let it carve through the stone like butter, revealing the cell for a second time, Kuri slumped by a wall to their left.

“Kuri!”

The cursed angel stared at him in shock, newly-bound wings twitching behind her. Scar kept watch as he fiddled with the tough rope, being infinitely careful not to brush a feather on her wings.

“You-you came back…”

“Well, I wasn’t going to leave you behind!”

The angel bowed her head, hiding the tears threatening to spill from her eyes as Mumbo used the sharp edge of one of Scar’s arrows to saw through the rope, completely oblivious.

“Mumbo, maybe buck up your ideas there!”

“M’trying!”

Finally, the last strand snapped and Kuri stretched out her cramped wings, wincing when she almost hit Mumbo in the head.

“S-Sorry…”

The redstoner shook his head, brushing it off.

“Doesn’t matter. Can you walk?”

“Uh, guys-”

“Yes- I - I think.”

The angel gritted her teeth and stood up, holding onto the wall for support, but the lanky technician saw the cry of pain she suppressed by biting her lip.

“Scar, you have any more of those healing pods?”

“I have regen and strength, they were the only ones I could find!”

Scar passed them over, heading back into the room beside them.

Frantically, Kuri chugged them down, her wounds beginning to glow not just with her luminescent blood but with the effects of the potion. She stood up straight, pushing off of the wall, pain in every line of her face but determined not to be a liability.

“This way!” Mumbo beckoned her toward the wall-hole, re-filling it behind them. He placed the last block just as a Ven phased through the repaired door to find an empty room. Luckily, Ven aren’t very smart, so it took a minute for the creature to realise what was wrong before it reacted, letting out a horrible screech that made the two flinch as they crept away. Scar didn’t budge, but an imperceptible shiver ran down his spine at the ear-shattering, hateful noise.

A shiver of fear or recognition, he couldn’t quite say.

But he hoped it was fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did somebody say binge-watching Hermitcraft 6 instead of writing? *Pats idea on the back and sighs*
> 
> Shoutout to RockaBen99 for pointing out my... unfortunate spelling mistake!


	17. Escape, At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've finally made their way out, but it seems it may come at a price...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!!!  
> So  
> shit  
> um  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> It's been i-cant-count-how-many weeks, and I'm sorry!!!!  
> There has been some thingss,,,,,,,  
> uhh  
> I wont go into detail cos y'all probably dont care, but I'm back now!!!
> 
> Also TW for use of the word 'bastard'

Mumbo stuck his head out of the doorway and checked left and right before stepping out and beckoning to his friends.

“I don’t see anything… Do you wanna try and find that window?”

“Well, the noob tower we made up to the window is probably gone, but only one of us can fly, so we can’t just break through the wall. I-”

Scar rubbed his chin as he spoke before Kuri interrupted.

“I can fly – I’ll carry moustache like I did before.”

She turned, rifling through a chest to pull out a long wooden pole, just like the one she’d had before, hefting it in her hand.

“No way!” Mumbo shook his head vehemently. “We’ll find another way, come on.”

Despite the pain, a ghost of a condescending grin flickered across the angel’s face.

“What, you’re just going to walk out the front door?”

She snorted.

“Surely you planned this before you got here?”

“We did! We were just gonna break an outer wall and fly away, but…” Scar trailed off, pointedly not looking at the cursed angel’s injuries.

“I told you I’ll be fine. Hold this, αδύναμος.”

She handed a confused Mumbo the wooden pole as Scar snickered quietly.

“What on earth… Y’know what nevermind! I’m not sure I want to know…”

Kuri shot the giggling wizard a strange look, then followed Mumbo as he marched off.

“I’m still not letting you fly!” He called back, voice low, and the angel shook her head.

“ανησυχία.” The wizard muttered.

“I heard that!”

“You don’t even know what it means!” Scar pointed out, and the redstoner turned on him with another verbal barb ready.

“Can you argue _after_ we escape this hell-hole?”

Kuri interjected, wings stretching and twitching as she prepared to take flight. She rolled her still shoulders a couple times, and they could all hear the bones crunching.

“Kuri…” Mumbo began, but before he could finish the angel had seized the staff again and used it to batter against the wooden outer wall of the mansion.

* * *

She’d been hitting it stubbornly for about a minute before she realised she hadn’t even put a dent in it and stopped, confused.

“ _Kuso_ …” She swore, examining the wall. Then she swore again.

“μάγος.” She called sharply. She spoke in the ancient tongue.

“ _I know you understand me. There’s a Vex shield up, and I can’t rid it. You try.”_

Scar was about to ignore her when he heard another ear-shattering, bone-breaking, ~~familiar~~ horrible screech from behind. The ex-vex stepped forward and reached for the wall, concentrating hard, ignoring Mumbo’s baffled looks.

Tired, angry, worried, upset, scared, anxious – all his emotions came pouring out as he yanked on the power that had been hidden for so long and channelled everything he had through one hand, letting the pressure build, and-

It wasn’t fancy, and it wasn’t precise, but with a surprisingly small explosion the wall and the shield blew out, leaving a ragged hole in its place. Small, blue, crystalline shards floated on the cold wind as the three of them stood, paralyzed with shock.

Kuri was the first to shake it off, launching herself out of the new window and pumping her wings hard to gain altitude before circling back to pick up a certain moustached redstoner. Her flight was jittery at best, but she made it.

Scar waited until they were a safe distance away before doing the same, just barely dodging a blast of blue fire that shot past him as he rocketed away, gladly not looking back.

* * *

“Badtimes. What is it?”

“My brother. In the last season he was chosen by the Vex as a vessel. It seems he has retained this power.”

“Is that a problem?” Sam asked sarcastically, his lip curling up in a sneer.

“It’s over. As soon as we find our destination, Gree-on will be dead – and his wings mine. You and your fellow alters have your vessels, bound to you. When this is done… you are free.”

“He has used his Vex power! It could be that he seeks the knowledge to worldhop-”

“Enough. He won’t get far.”

“But-”

“Enough, I said! Where is Hels? Go get him.”

“Yes… Sir.”

Badtimes spat the last word out like it tasted gross and spun on his heel, debating just portalling out of there and leaving this… conceited _bastard_ to deal with his psychopathic plan… But if he left, Sam would destroy his vessel, and he’s be back with Scar again, unable to destroy him.

And so, he went to find Hels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kilythxbai


	18. Moving.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @desperatememes

AO3 is no longer working, so I am moving Mid-Flight and Mid-Fall to Tumblr **@desperatememes**

**Author's Note:**

> Mwahahaha  
> I love Mid-Fall even more than Mid-Flight  
> Fun fact: The only time the word 'Mid-Flight' is mentioned so far is in the work that isn't even called Mid-Flight XD XD


End file.
